articles | 29 September 2025 | Elias Neocleous & Co LLC

LIST OF COUNTRIES WHOSE CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY ARE PRESENTLY ACCEPTED

The Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Shipping has issued on 27 August 2025 new Circular 22/2025 in relation to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, STCW 78, as amended and in particular with respect to the Issuance of Seafarer’s Endorsements Attesting the Recognition of Non-Cyprus Certificates.

In this respect, the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Shipping has notified interested parties that the countries whose certificates of competency are presently recognised by the Republic of Cyprus are the ones listed below:


AlgeriaArgentinaAustralia
EcuadorEgyptEstonia
IranIrelandIsrael
New ZealandNigeria*Norway
SlovakiaSloveniaSouth Africa
BangladeshBelgiumBrazil
BulgariaCanadaCape Verde
ChileChinaCroatia
CubaCzech RepublicDenmark
EthiopiaFinlandFrance
GeorgiaGermanyGhana
GreeceItalyJamaica
JapanJordanLatvia
LithuaniaMalaysiaHong Kong
MaltaHungaryIceland
IndiaIndonesiaMexico
MoroccoMyanmarNetherlands
OmanPakistanPeru
PhilippinesPolandPortugal
Republic of KoreaRepublic of MontenegroRepublic of Serbia
RomaniaRussian FederationSingapore
SpainSri LankaSweden
Tanzania*TurkeyUkraine
United KingdomUnited StatesUruguay
Vietnam

* Countries which are being assessed by the European Commission

For more information, please contact

Costas Stamatiou, Partner & Vassilis Psyrras, Advocate/ Counsel
Elias Neocleous & Co LLC

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